You Know That, Right?
by SarcasmMyAntidrug
Summary: He had said it, and so had she. But did they mean it the same way? Takes place after episodes 'Lucky' and 'Penelope' from season 3. Fluff Alert!
1. Out With the Old

**Her**

Penelope Garcia had always considered herself a very compartmentalized person… mentally at least. If she ever had a problem, she put it into a subconscious category and solved it with precision and rationality. But recently, something seemed to be messing with her personal hard-drive, and throwing everything out of whack.

Kevin. He seemed to be taking up most of her thoughts recently… and not in a good way. She was starting to get the feeling that it was time to end things. At first his surprises- the random turn-off-the-breaker romantic dinners; the sneaking up behind her at work- had seemed sweet, fun even. But it was starting to go a little too far. Like finding him on her laptop while he waited for her after setting up one of the afore-mentioned dinners. She had seen her e-mail page on the screen before he quickly shut it off and distracted her with exotic fruit. As far as she could tell afterwards, he hadn't gotten the chance to read any of them, but she didn't like the possibility that he was about to. It wasn't that she had anything bad she had to hide from him or anything, but it was her _e-mail_ for God's sake- it was supposed to be private. Being who she was, she knew the irony behind that thought, but the work she did was to catch murderers, not spy on her lovers.

Kevin's crazy rants about a certain Derek Morgan had also not been much of an issue with them in the beginning. Then, Penelope had thought it was kind of cute to have someone feel jealous about her for once in her life. Now it had turned possessive. Like she was an object only he could touch, or even look at. Derek had, of course, been oblivious to the male-tech's glares whenever they were in the same room together, but it was hard not to notice the sometimes very loud monologues Kevin would put on, listing all and more of the agent's vices, when he and Penelope were leaving the office together. Fortunately, or unfortunately for him, Derek liked blasting his I-pod while working on files. Coincidentally, this was always the same time Garcia left work.

Penelope was just contemplating on this last tidbit of coincidence when the phone rang. Making sure as to not lose her train of thought, she answered with a distracted 'Garcia. How can I help you?" and was greeted with silence. And then;

"Garcia? You switch personalities with a secretary or something while I've been away baby-girl?" Morgan's slightly concerned voice floated through the room from the speakerphone. She turned her head to the source.

"Hmm? Oh, no. Just got a little distracted. So what did you need? Hit me with it." She replied.

"Garcia, we just finished a case. What would I need to hit you with?" came Morgan's slightly confused retort.

"Oh I could name a few things Sugar, but really, what do you need?" her weak grin matched her attempt at normalcy. Well, normal at least for the two of them.

"That was weak baby-girl. Everything alright?" Garcia sighed heavily.

"Yes, fine. Just stuff on my mind, that's all." She assured him.

"Well if you ever need to talk…" he left the sentence hanging, expecting the message to get through that he would be there. Garcia had to forcibly hold herself back from blurting out everything she was feeling about her problems with Kevin right then and there. She remembered what had happened the last time she had talked to Morgan about another man in her life. She also remembered how his words then had hurt her more than the bullet that had been a result of the disastrous conversation six months back.

"I've always got Reid. I know." She forced herself to joke, finishing his incomplete sentence and trying to lighten the mood.

"You would me Garcia." Morgan sighed in mock hurt, obviously won over by the act.

"Anyways, the team and I are getting back around 6 tonight, and we were thinking of grabbing some drinks at our usual spot before heading home. You in?"

She was about to answer when she heard a throat cleared behind her, and spun around to see Kevin standing in the doorway. He walked in and hit the 'mute' button on the speakerphone, leaning over her.

"We're going out tonight." He said levelly, staring into her eyes, which widened dramatically. "Tell your 'friends' no." He ordered and pushed himself back up, releasing the mute button.

"Penelope? You still there?" Garcia stared at her boyfriend in shock.

"I'm here. And yes, I'm in. See you tonight." She said and hung up the phone, her eyes never leaving Kevin's.

"Why did you say that? I told you we had plans!" Kevin demanded, his anger visibly simmering close to the surface.

"We've gone out all week since the team has been gone. I want to spend at least _some_ time with them before they have to run off to God-knows-where again. I told you I would." She reasoned.

"Will _Morgan_ be there?" he asked venomously. Penelope leaned back in her chair in shock.

"Well seeing as how he invited me in the first place, I would think he would be." She retorted.

"Why does it matter if he's there or not?" she demanded. Kevin crossed his arms defensively.

"I don't trust him with you. I see the way you two flirt shamelessly whenever you're together. I don't have to be a genius to figure out what's going on here." He accused. Garcia stared at him in open-mouthed horror.

"I cannot believe you! You're still on this! Kevin, Morgan and I have flirted for _years_, and it's always been just that- flirting. It's not like we ever _do_ anything! We're not going to change our habits just because I'm seeing someone. How many times do I have to tell you?" she stated in disbelief, realizing that she was basically replaying the same fight they had had last week.

"I still don't trust him." Scowled Kevin. Garcia stiffened and stood up straight.

"Well if you don't trust him, then you obviously don't trust me. And I can't be in a relationship with no trust." She said, staring right into his eyes, which were now blazing in fury. Kevin unfolded his arms and loomed towards her, but she didn't back down.

"What are you saying?" he asked quietly, through clenched teeth.

"I can't see you anymore Lynch. I'm sorry, but it's just not going to work out." He just stared at her, with a mix of incredulity and anger, before stomping out the door and slamming it behind him. Penelope stared at the place he had been standing moments earlier and sat down slowly. She felt…

good.

And that didn't sound like what someone was supposed to feel after breaking up with a long-term boyfriend. But the sense of relief- as if the world had been lifted off her shoulders- couldn't be denied. She was genuinely glad that her and Kevin's affiliation was over. It seemed strange to her, but looking back on their relationship, all those things he had done which she had thought to be endearing once, now started to look a little creepy. Stalker-esque even. She made herself a mental note to change the locks on her doors, get a new alarm system and change all her passwords… just in case. With this in mind, she packed up her things from her office and headed home to get ready for that night.

* * *

**Author's Note****: For Christmas this year, I got the entire first three seasons of criminal minds (among other things). It has recently become my obsession; much like McFly was for quite a while after I watched Just My Luck. Anyways, I haven't gotten past the first season, but I already love the idea of Morgan and Garcia. Absolutely adore the witty flirting and comebacks. So if some stuff is out of whack or whatever, please let me know. Also, this happens after season 3 episodes 08 and 09 because they were pretty much the only ones I got the chance to watch on TV during the regular show time. Lucky me I guess, because they're definitely 2 of my fave episodes. So to cut to the chase; thanks for reading my first Criminal Minds fic. Hopefully there will be another chapter up soon once my exams are over and I start a (in my opinion) well-deserved, relatively easy semester. Thanks again, and please review!**


	2. Looking Back

**Him**

Derek Morgan shut his cell phone with a snap and stared at it for a moment, feeling very much as if he'd missed something. Something big. He replayed the recent conversation back in his head. Garcia was distracted? That just wasn't like her. Her mind was like one of those hard drives she was always tinkering on between hacking jobs. If she was thinking or doing something and one of them called or needed her, she would just store whatever she was pondering over away for later. It made her that much easier to talk to, he thought, her being able to compartmentalize like she did. So what could've been weighing so heavily on her mind that she completely abandoned her usually witty -and more often than not- dirty welcome? Something he had come to look forward to every time they made contact- over the phone or in person. And then there were those weak cover-up jokes. She knew he had been suspicious, and so tried to act as if everything were fine. But it wasn't, he could tell. How? Because she hadn't talked about it with him. Any other time he had asked her what was wrong, she just came out with it. She looked to him for advice. But not this time. Why?

Derek sighed and looked out the window, not really taking in the sight of the plane's wing cutting through the clouds. Then there was that disturbingly long pause after he had asked her out to drinks later that night. He was sure he had heard a throat cleared in the background, and he was almost positive it was a male throat that had done so. Then a click. And after, nothing. He knew when he was being put on hold, and so had sat back in his plush leather armchair and waited, completely confused. After what seemed like forever, but couldn't have been more than a minute, he had tried to recapture Garcia's attention. She had answered, but her reply to his previous question was clipped, almost angry, before she hung up. Just like that. And now here he was trying to find where he had gone wrong, or if he'd said something to offend his baby-girl enough to have her hang up the phone on him like she had.

He couldn't think of anything. The last time something like this had happened had been six months ago, and then Penelope had come right out and said what she –very angrily- thought about him at that point. And then proceeded to make the biggest mistake of her life and call that creep Battle back. Of course she hadn't known he was a complete and total psychopath. But still. He had come _that_ close to losing his baby-girl because of that one stupid comment he had made about how the man 'clearly had something wrong with him'. He had known the second after he'd let it slip out, that it had been the wrong thing to say. But in all honesty it had been the first thing to pop into his head apart from 'you blew him off? Thank God, cause I don't want no one touching my baby-girl but me'. And he wasn't about to say _that_ out loud. Then she went on that date and got shot, and had him wishing that he had told her what he had actually _wanted _to say in the first place, instead just so she wouldn't have called that bastard back. But he hadn't, and she did. He had never felt guiltier in his life. For what he had said, and especially for being the reason he had almost never seen her again.

But he had told her exactly how he felt when she was back home from the hospital.

"Hey silly-girl. I love you; you know that, right?" He had asked her. Because he did- with all his heart. It may have taken her almost dying for him to realize that, but he did. And she had given him that small, shy little smile and whispered the four words that had him feeling like he'd died and gone to heaven.

"I love you too." And he had thought that was that.

Then she met Kevin Lynch.

Morgan had no idea what happened. They both confess their love for each other, and the very next day she meets _another_ guy? And agrees to _go out _with him? With him in the same room? What was up with that? Needless to say, when Garcia came back the next week, after some much deserved downtime, and found her office in a state of total chaos, he was more than a little pleased with her obvious loathing towards one Mr. Lynch at the time. Maybe they hadn't gotten on so well with that date they had gone on. But then, after he offered to stick around and help her clean up, she sent a jab at his own heart. The same one she covered with her delicate hand when she said;

"Honey, I know you love me, but the prospect of you whirling around here trying to fix… this, is actually more frightening than getting shot." Now that had just hurt. And if she knew he loved her than why had she gone out with that Lynch guy? He didn't have time to ask. He really did have to be in L.A. They'd talk later.

But when he got back, what else did he find but his baby-girl in a new hot 'n heavy relationship with her exact counterpart? What had happened? Had she maybe forgotten what had happened that night after the hospital? The doctor had said there might be a possibility of retrograde amnesia or whatever it was called because of the shock and everything, but he hadn't thought it would affect them in any way. But if that was what happened, and she had found someone she really liked, maybe it was for the best that she not remember her apparently brief moment of insanity. It killed him to think so, but he did.

He felt the plane touch down at that moment and was startled back into the present. Had he really been just thinking for that long? That was very unlike him. He shrugged it off as nothing but friendly concern and got off the plane to head to the bar with the rest of the team. The thought put an immediate smile on his face; he could finally see his baby-girl.

* * *

**Author's Note****: So last chapter got a lot more attention than I could've even imagined. And I just wanted to thank everyone for reviewing, favorite-ing, alerting, and basically just reading my little fic. I know this chapter was kinda slow, with basically nothing happening, but I just started writing Morgan's background thoughts, and what was supposed to be one- maybe two- paragraphs at most, ended up being about half a baker's dozen. So please excuse me this little indulgence in my hopelessly romantic side. Thanks again for checking this out, and hopefully I can post the next chapter shortly. **


	3. In With The New

**Them**

Penelope knocked back the last of another drink and slammed it down on the bar with a smile.

"Hit me." She told the bar-tender, not even starting to slur her words. JJ and Emily, who were sitting beside her, raised their eyebrows.

"What's got you kicking those back so fast?" asked JJ. Garcia turned to her.

"Oh, I'm sorry I forgot. Another round for my friends too!" she shouted at the bartender, who nodded and got more glasses. Emily and JJ exchanged amused glances.

"You're in a good mood tonight." The brunette stated. Penelope turned her wide smile to face her.

"Yep! I am a free woman once again!" Emily looked confused, but no less interested.

"What happened? Did you and Kevin break up?" Penelope took a gulp from the glass that was placed in front of her and smiled.

"You betcha!" her two colleagues exchanged yet another glance.

"And you're… okay with that?" JJ questioned. Garcia waved her hand as if swatting away a fly.

"Pfft, oh yeah. We'd been on the rocks for a while. And he was such a _jerk_ about you guys. I was totally fine about dumping him today." She replied honestly.

"So… what's with the daiquiris?" asked Emily, eyeing the blonde tech's third or fourth glass to be downed that night.

"I'm celebrating." was the simple retort.

Emily made a face as if to say 'that makes sense' and swung around in her barstool to view the dance floor. Eyeing the men who were standing around a table waiting for the girls to bring them their beers, she grabbed what they had come for, presuming the others would get the rest and follow her, and expertly maneuvered around the horde of dancing bodies. Clunking the mugs on the table with words and grunts of thanks from those standing around it, she turned to face the way she had come and found Garcia downing her drink and snatching another one for himself before she and JJ made their way over.

Passing Emily's own beer over, Garcia spun around to watch the dancing in the middle of the floor and sighed happily. This was the best part of the job, in her opinion; the downtime between cases- when everyone was free to relax, unwind, be themselves, and most importantly; drink. Oooh yes, she loved the drinking. And Lou always did make the best strawberry daiquiris, she had found out, eyeing the bartender appreciatively. JJ caught the glance and laughed.

"Looking already Garcia? Didn't you and Lynch _just_ break it off?" Penelope grinned at her friend.

"It's never too early to start looking again. I mean, what is not to love about the guy? He's nice, cute, buff, makes the best daiquiris in the _world_. You see where I'm going with this don't you?" she said, her words starting to merge together. JJ laughed again.

"All I can see is the alcohol messing with your brain. I never thought you went for the grizzly look." Penelope squinted carefully through her glasses.

"Is he grizzly? I couldn't tell." Everyone exchanged amused glances.

"Someone's been hitting the happy juice a little too fast I think." Supplied Rossi, with a grin. "Maybe someone should take you home, Garcia."

"Nuh-uh. Not until I get someone's phone number." She said, waving her index finger in front of his face, and searching the crowd.

"Why do you want someone's number?" asked Reid, oblivious.

"Because life is too short. That's one thing I learned very quickly working with the BAU. And I know my guy is out there somewhere. Might as well start looking early." She explained.

"I'm taking you home baby-girl. I think you've had enough for tonight." Morgan said, standing up. There was none of the expected humor he usually had in his voice. It surprised Penelope enough to get her to agree to go with him. Morgan, having caught a ride to the bar with Hotch, buckled himself and Garcia into the front seats of her convertible, Esther, and pulled out of the parking lot. Garcia -who could hold her liquor very well thank you very much- didn't take her eyes off of him while they drove.

"Okay, what's wrong?" she demanded after the second stoplight without a word from the driver's seat. Derek sighed and finally tore his gaze from the road to glance at her.

"Why do you want to find Mr. Right all of a sudden?" he asked, keeping his voice as neutral as possible. She snorted and leaned back in her seat, staring ahead.

"Fine, change the subject on me." She whined, but relented. "I just wasted five months with a guy I only had about 1 thing in common with. I don't want to do that anymore."

"You have me." Suggested Morgan.

"I know Sugar. But one day you'll meet a girl who's perfect for you, and I can't let _the_ Derek Morgan get married before I do. The time-space continuum would spontaneously combust from the shock." She grinned at him, but it was returned with pleading eyes.

"That's not what I meant mama." Her grin slipped to be replaced with a look of confusion, so he elaborated. "Why are you looking for a new guy when I've been here all along?" Garcia started to look concerned.

"Derek…" she started in a warning tone.

"Penelope. I told you I love you. And I meant it. Didn't you?" he asked, forcing himself to keep his voice from cracking. She opened and closed her mouth a few times before responding.

"Of course I did, but-"

"Then why did you start going out with Lynch right after you said it?" he demanded, cutting her off. "Did I scare you off? Was it too sudden?"

"Derek, what are you _talking_ _about_? I've loved you for ages," his eyebrows shot up when he faced her. "We're best friends for god's sake, why would I be friends with someone I didn't love?" she asked.

"That's not how I meant it." He mumbled. Garcia leaned forward, not having heard what he'd said over the roar of the wind.

"What?" he turned to look her right in the eyes.

"I don't love you as a _friend_ Penelope! It's always been so much more than that." He finished quietly. Flopping back in her seat, Garcia looked out the front window, shock written clear across her face. He didn't take his eyes off her.

"DEREK!" her scream broke him from his stare and he pulled the wheel sharply to the right, just in time to avoid the fast-approaching vehicle they had been about to crash into. After spinning to a strangely, almost perfect parked stop on the shoulder of the road, Derek turned to a close-to-hyperventilating Garcia with earnest eyes.

"I am _in love_ with you Penelope Garcia; And I am asking, no _demanding_, that you tell me the truth about how you feel about me too." Penelope stared at him.

"You sure don't get distracted easily." She muttered, only to be met with a warning look. She sighed in defeat. "I'm in love with you too Derek. It'd be impossible to be anything but." She admitted, looking away from him. This made it impossible for her to see the giant, full-blown smile that was at that moment threatening to completely take over Morgan's features. He reached out and gently caught her chin in his hand to turn her to face him.

"Then I think it's about time you let me be your very own, _personal_, chocolate Adonis once and for all." He said, and brought her lips to his.

* * *

**Author's Note: okay, so that was my little story. I know it's short but I have a tendancy to make my endings pretty horrible, so I'm ending before I can mess it up any more. Hope people liked it. Thanks for reading and, as always, reviews are greatly appreciated. Thanks for checking it out!**


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